There are a number of problems associated with the packaging and use of condoms. The procedure for donning a condom manually is both cumbersome and time consuming which detracts from condoms being more widely used. Condoms are typically packed in sealed pouches and to don a condom, a user needs to tear open the pouch, ensure that the condom faces the correct way up and then roll it manually onto the penis. In tearing the pouch open a user may accidentally pinch and rupture the condom. Further, when unrolling the condom manually, difficulties have been experienced by users in applying the condom smoothly onto the penis. As a result, wrinkles often form in the condom wall which, during intercourse, may cause rupturing of the condom when the wrinkles rub against the vaginal wall.
In order to ameliorate many of the problems identified above, a number of condom application devices have been developed for donning condoms. U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,120 teaches a device for applying a condom on a penis, the device having an annular frame that is of greater width than the penis and having a seating formation in which a “rolled up” portion of the condom or hem ring which is formed on an internal side of the wall of the condom, is seated. The annular frame has a slit which allows separation of two halves of the frame for facilitating removal of the frame. U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,982 discloses an applicator device for applying a condom having a hem ring defined on an internal side of the wall of the condom. The device has an annular body on which the condom is held in an arrangement permitting unrolling of the condom for donning the condom. U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,887 discloses a condom package and donning device which comprises an enclosure and condom attachment means. When the enclosure is removed, the condom opening is exposed for donning. The device includes an annular ridge or hook attachment means for holding the hem ring of the condom which is bunched up inside the enclosure. The condom is not rolled up into a hem ring and as such, the annular ridge or hook attachments merely hold the flange or ring defined at the base of the condom, while the condom is being donned.
It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate the above identified problems.